


Tact

by Cinerari



Category: Captain Harlock, コスモウォーリアー零 | Cosmo Warrior Zero
Genre: Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 04:00:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16846708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinerari/pseuds/Cinerari
Summary: Daiba meets a stranger in a bar, but Harlock seems to know the odd man.





	Tact

**Author's Note:**

> This might be the oldest fic I'm going to post on here.

I’d been trying to figure this guy out from the moment we’d walked into the bar, and I still wasn’t sure about him. He talked with the captain so quickly and nonsensically that I couldn’t keep up. They sounded like one of those old black and white films where the people are always going back and forth with hardly a pause between them

Yet, they were so calm about it. They spoke short exchanges around their sips of alcohol – bourbon for the stranger and wine for the captain.

“You’re causing problems again, Harlock,” was the first thing the taller man had said as the captain had taken a seat at the bar beside him. They didn’t look at each other. They just stared ahead as they spoke.

I’d taken the other chair beside my captain, curious and hoping to order myself something to drink. The captain had ordered me milk before I could even open my mouth.

“I thought you’d be used to it by now,” the captain said to the man, a hint of a smile in his eye.

“I am.”

“They still giving you trouble about that old ‘Proof of Good Standing’ you signed?”

“Every day.” The stranger’s hat was placed on the table between him and the captain – an old-fashioned commander’s cap. His jacket was an odd mix of yellow and black. I looked for some sort of insignia to indicate what exactly he was, but I couldn’t see much of him past the captain. His hair was a wavy auburn, his nose slightly long. He looked to be of the same descent of the captain. He also looked exhausted, though he didn’t act it.

“I told you not to,” Harlock responded. The conversation had its own rhythm. Every slight pause between their turns was just the same amount of time, as though they already knew what the other would say beforehand.

“It was the truth though. You’re a good man.”

“I’m surprised you’d admit that.” He didn’t really look surprised, but then again, the captain rarely did.

“It’s the truth too, though. They want to paint you as the villain, and they’re upset that I know you’re not.”

There was a slight break in the rhythm. Harlock paused for an extra beat. “There anything you want to tell me?”

The stranger’s voice lowered, taking on a darker hue. “Just that you’d better keep your allies close. Make sure you know where they are. The government might be lazy pigs, but some of them have hobbies that aren’t all that healthy for anyone they know is connected to you.”

“You don’t need to protect me if that’s what you think you’re doing,” the captain frowned. But their gazes continued forward. I was the only one looking between them.

“I’m not. I’m just upholding what I know is right.”

“Fine. But what are you doing out here? I thought you were grounded.”

This time the stranger did bother to smile. “When you say it like that, it sounds like I’m a rebellious child. I am technically still not allowed away from Earth, but they said they’d lift it if I got information from you.”

“You’re just going to make things up?”

“Oh of course.”

“I think you’re purposely trying to get yourself in more trouble.”

“I’m just amused that they think we’re best friends that share all of our secrets. Like we have a little clubhouse that says ‘No government allowed’ on the outside.”

“Are you drunk?”

“Maybe a little.”

I was still trying to figure out their relationship. They were friends obviously, but there seemed to be much more going on than I was seeing. What was that about the government? There were too many layers over what they were saying for me to really understand.

“Who’s the kid?” the stranger asked suddenly.

“He’s not a kid.”

“He’s not a man.”

“He’s getting there.”

I wasn’t sure how to react to them talking about me. I was a bit offended that he’d call me a kid and refuse to acknowledge me as a man. I considered telling him myself that I was definitely no kid, but I found no point that I could break the flow of their conversation.

“He likes to eavesdrop,” the stranger said, looking more amused than upset.

“He’s not doing any harm. He needs to learn some things. It’s good that he listens every once in a while.”

“So where’d you get him?”

“Earth. His father was one of the scientists that were killed by the Mazone.”

“I see. You always did have a knack for picking up strays.”

“And you’ve always had a knack for getting yourself beaten up.”

I wasn’t sure where that had come from, but it seemed to bother the stranger. He tugged on the sleeves of his jacket as though to hide something the captain had already seen. “And somehow it always seems to be your fault.”

“You don’t have to keep yourself associated with me.”

“I never wanted to be, but I wasn’t given a choice. Whenever I’m brought up, they don’t think of anything I’ve done. They just know me as the man who was an ally of Harlock.”

“It bothers you.” It wasn’t a question.

“I suppose. I don’t hate being associated with you. It’s fine. I’m glad I’m not your enemy in this fight, though they’ve tried their damn hardest to make me. But I do hate being stuck on Earth.”

“I never asked for you to stand up for me. You didn’t have to do that.”

“You always say that, but I know you would have done the same thing in my place.”

“Maybe,” Harlock said.

“Definitely,” the stranger smiled. He looked even more tired now. “You know, we should duel.”

“I don’t want to duel an injured man.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Last time you nearly killed yourself with that ideal.”

“I’m pretty sure you were the one almost doing the killing.”

The captain smiled. “You should have said something.”

“I have my pride. And you were the one that started it.”

“That’s not how I remember it.”

Now I was completely lost. They were friends, but they wanted to kill each other. Well…why not? This was Harlock after all. He never would make sense to me. They kind of sounded like brothers, and maybe that was it. Not that they were actually brothers – they looked too dissimilar for that. But they may as well have been.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you that your outfit is ridiculous. I honestly think the cat suit was better,” the stranger said, a playfulness to his voice.

“My outfit? Have you seen yours?” The captain seemed just as entertained by the odd game.

“You look like a little kid pretending to be a superhero – like you pulled all these random things out of your dad’s closet and threw them on. I just can’t get over the cape.”

“You have so many colors in yours that I’m honestly not sure what’s going on. Black, red, blue, silver, gold, white, yellow. Really? Yellow?”

“You genuinely look like you’re trying to emulate Dracula.”

“And you genuinely look like you’re trying to emulate a bumblebee.”

Yes, siblings. Definitely siblings.

“Phantom of the Opera.”

“Highlighter.”

They both looked ready to start laughing, but they hid their smiles. “And as if your fashion sense wasn’t bad enough, you had to force it on your crew,” the stranger sighed dramatically.

“My crew doesn’t have a dress code, unlike yours. They aren’t any better off than you, though. Your color palette is the worst.”

“Oh, so that kid is wearing Miss Kei’s hand-me-downs of his own free will?”

“What?” I squeaked, stumbling into the conversation.

Finally, they looked at each other, just a quick glance. I couldn’t see Harlock’s expression, but the stranger’s eyes shone with a childish amusement.

“They aren’t really!” I insisted. It was more of a question though.

Harlock didn’t say anything. He just sipped his wine. The stranger finally addressed me though, turning to look at me. “Why don’t I properly introduce myself? I’m Warrius Zero.”

“Tadashi Daiba,” I returned with a huff. “You weren’t serious, were you? About these being Kei’s clothes?”

He shrugged. “It could be worse. It could be your captain’s hand-me-downs.”

The captain snorted. “You say that, but I’m pretty sure you miss being able to stare at my ass.”

What?

“I think you just remember things how you want to remember them.”

Maybe it was best to leave them to it. I needed to go confirm something with Kei.


End file.
